An ignition criterion for inertial fusion boosted by microturbulence

TL;DR

This paper derives a modified ignition criterion for inertial fusion that accounts for turbulence, showing that controlled microturbulence can reduce the energy needed for ignition, with an optimal turbulence scale identified.

Contribution

It introduces a new Lawson-like criterion incorporating turbulence effects and quantifies the optimal turbulence scale for ignition in inertial confinement fusion.

Findings

Turbulence can lower the ignition energy threshold.

Optimal turbulence scale is in the micron range.

Controlled microturbulence enhances fusion reactivity.

Abstract

Turbulence enhances fusion reactivity, enabling ignition at lower temperature. A modified Lawson-like ignition criterion is derived for inertially confined plasmas harboring turbulent kinetic energy. Remarkably, if small-scale turbulence is driven in the hot spot while avoiding mixing at the boundary, less energy is required to ignite a target. The optimal length scale for hot-spot turbulence is quantified, typically lying in the micron range.